History
Bowling Green's earliest "movie houses" were managed y John P. Masters and owned by Crescent Amusements of Nashville. The Elite Theatre opened in June, 1911 in what is now known as the Ogden Building on the corner of State and Main. It seated 200, offered nickelodeon and vaudeville acts and promised that "ladies and children will be protected from (the) rudeness and misconduct" that sometimes accompanied opposition to a theatre. The Crescent (present site of the Capitol Theatre) opened in October 1911 and advertised essentially the same advantages offered by the Elite; however, as the popularity and length of films rapidly increased, these small theatres ceased to accommodate the community's growing demand. Thus, in 1914, Crescent Amusements constructed the Princess Theatre, Bowling Green's third "movie house". Some have claimed that the Princess was the first structure built in Kentucky for the expressed purpose of showing motion pictures.
Unlike its smaller predecessors that charged a nickel and seated patrons in cane-bottom chairs, admission to the Princess cost a dime (eventually increased to a quarter). The Princess Theatre provided comfortable upholstered seating for 550 (the balcony accommodated and additional 186) ad offered improved, state-of-the-art acoustics.
The local paper assured, that "no city...has a better line of pictures" than those offered at the Princess. The Princess Theatre quickly became the area's favorite place of entertainment. The young enjoyed Saturday afternoons watching films like the adventures of Tom Mix or the exploits of Fu Manchu and at night their parents viewed more sophisticated comedies and dramas while enjoying the aroma - and taste - of the salty buttered popcorn that permeated the theatre.
An imposing structure with a facade of white pressed brick, the Princess' interior walls contained frescoes and were bedecked with attractive wall lights. The two story high ceiling provided excellent ventilation; electric fans created additional comfort in the summer-time. Unfortunately, no known photographs of the theatre's interior have been found.
The Princess Theatre closed in 1957. A few years later, perhaps in attempt to complete with the fashionable new shopping malls, the brick façade was covered with a metal skin and the building was named "Fountain Square Mall". A 1982 "face lift" removed the siding and reconstructed the canopy.
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